Tubing spacing means for subsurface valves

ABSTRACT

A plural tubing hanger is set in a well bore below the platform, and a plural safety valve is latched in the tubing hanger by manipulation of one of the surface tubing strings extending between the subsurface valve assembly and a tubing hanger at the platform. The surface tubing strings and the control fluid conduit for conducting control fluid to the subsurface valves from the platform are lontigudinally adjustable to properly space the surface tubing strings which extend between the subsurface tubing hanger and the tubing head on the platform. In one form, the weight of both surface tubing strings is carried by an adjustor sub, and in another form the adjustor sub is relieved of the weight of the nonoperating surface tubing string during adjustment.

United States Patent Crowe TUBING SPACING MEANS FOR SUBSURFACE VALVES Reistle et a1. 166/313 3,770,053 11/1973 Martin et a1. l66/.5

Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser Assistant Examiner-Richard E. Favreau Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bernard Kriegel [57] ABSTRACT A plural tubing hanger is set in a well bore below the platform, and a plural safety valve is latched in the tubing hanger by manipulation of one of the surface tubing strings extending between the subsurface valve assembly and a tubing hanger at the platform. The surface tubing strings and the control fluid conduit for conducting control fluid to the subsurface valves from the platform are lontigudinally adjustable to properly space the surface tubing strings which extend between the subsurface tubing hanger and the tubing head on the platform. in one form, the weight of both surface tubing strings is carried by an adjustor sub, and in another form the adjustor sub is relieved of the weight of the nonoperating surface tubing string during adjustment.

24 Claims, 41 Drawing Figures PAIENIEI] JAN21 19 75 SHEET OlUF 19 PATENIEU SHEET 030F 19 IATGHS.

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PATENTEB JAN? 1 B75 SHEET 15 0F 19 PAINTED-M821 I975 sum 18UF 19- 3 E ra 144.

PAIENTED 3.861.463

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1. In well production apparatus: subsurface tubing hanger means anchorable in engagement within a well casing and having a seat for a subsurface shutoff valve, shutoff valve means seated in said seat, said valve means having a passage for communicating with subsurface tubing extending downwardly in the well from said tubing hanger means, tubing head means spaced above said valve means, surface tubing extending between said valve means and said tubing head, said surface tubing and said tubing head having landing means for supporting said surface tubing, and spacing means incorporated in said surface tubing for adjusting the space between said valve and said landing means while said valve means is seated in said tubing hanger means.
 2. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means thereon, said spacing means being incorporated in one of said surface tubing strings, and telescoping said seal means in response to rotation of said one of said tubing strings, and including connector means interconnecting said surface tubing strings for enabling said shutoff valve means to be lowered into said tubing hanger means on a handling tubing connected to said one of said tubing strings.
 3. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 2, said connector means comprising a plate fixedly connected to said other of said tubing strings and rotatably connected to said one of said tubing strings.
 4. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 2, said connector means comprising an abutment member longitudinally shiftably connected to said other of said tubing strings and rotatably connected to said one of said tubing strings, said other of said tubing strings having abutment means engageable above said abutment member whereby said other of said tubing strings is supported on said abutment member by said abutment means as said shutoff valve means is being lowered, said abutment member being movable downwardly with respect to said other of said tubing strings upon operation of said spacing means.
 5. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 2, said connector means comprising an abutment member longitudinally shiftably connected to said other of said tubing strings and rotatably connected to said one of said tubing strings, said other of said tubing strings having abutment means engageable above said abutment member whereby said other of said tubing strings is supported on said abutment member by said abutment means as said shutoff valve means is being lowered, said abutment member being movable downwardly with respect to said other of said tubing strings upon operation of said spacing means, said abutment member and said other of said tubing strings having cooperable non-circular surfaces extending longitudinally for enabling said abutment member to move downwardly with respect to said other of said tubing strings while preventing relative rotation thereof.
 6. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said spacing means comprising a telescopic sealing assembly including a threaded mandrel and an outer member adjustable responsive to relative rotation therebetween.
 7. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means therein, and said spacing means telescoping said seal means in response to rotation of one of the surface tubing strings.
 8. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, auxiliary fluid conduit means extending from said valve means upwardly alongside said surface tubing.
 9. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, auxiliary fluid conduit means extending from said valve means upwardly alongside said surface tubing and including telescopic sealing means adjustable responsive to adjustment of said spacing means.
 10. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means therein, control fluid conduit means extending along and connected to one of said surface tubing strings and having adjustable telescopic sealing means adjustable responsive to adjustment of said spacing means, and said spacing means telescoping said seal means in response to rotation of one of the surface tubing strings.
 11. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means therein, control fluid conduit means extending along and connected to one of said surface tubing strings and having adjustable telescopic sealing means adjustable responsive to adjustment of said spacing means, and said spacing means telescoping said seal assemblies in response to manipulation of one of said surface tubing strings.
 12. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means therein, control fluid conduit means extending along and connected to one of said surface tubing strings and having adjustable telescopic sealing means adjustable responsive to adjustment of said spacing means, and said spacing means telescoping said seal means in response to rotation of one of the surface tubing strings, said spacing means comprising a telescopic sealing assembly including a threaded mandrel and an outer member adjustable responsive to relative rotation therebetween.
 13. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing striNgs each having telescopic seal means therein, and said spacing means telescoping said seal means in response to rotation to one of the surface tubing strings, each of said telescoping seal means being axially separable.
 14. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means therein, and said spacing means telescoping said seal means in response to rotation to one of the surface tubing strings, each of said telescoping seal means being axially separable, and said one of the surface tubing strings including axially separable safety joint means separable to allow removal of said surface tubing strings.
 15. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said valve means comprising a plural valve assembly, said surface tubing including plural tubing strings each having telescopic seal means therein, and said spacing means telescoping said seal means in response to rotation to one of the surface tubing strings, each of said telescoping seal means being axially separable, and said one of the surface tubing strings including axially separable safety joint means separable to allow removal of said surface tubing strings, said safety joint means including a mandrel having fishing neck thereon connected to said valve means.
 16. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hanger means and said valve means having cooperative latch means for releasably holding said valve means in said tubing hanger means and operable responsive to operation of said spacing means.
 17. In well production apparatus as defined in claim 1, said tubing hanger means and said valve means having cooperative latch means for releasably holding said valve means in said tubing hanger means and operable responsive to operation of said spacing means, said latch means including a shoulder on said tubing hanger means, latch fingers on said valve means and means for releasably holding said fingers in engagement with said shoulder.
 18. In a subsurface safety valve assembly adapted to be lowered into a well through a tubing head and landed in a subsurface tubing hanger spaced below the tubing head, comprising: an elongated valve housing, latch means at one end of said housing operable for latching engagement with the tubing hanger, and telescopic spacing means carried at the other end of said body including a pair of threadedly connected tubular members, one of said members having means for connection with a string of operating tubing for relatively rotating said members.
 19. In a subsurface safety valve assembly as defined in claim 18, means for operating said latch means responsive to relative rotation of said members.
 20. In a subsurface safety valve assembly as defined in claim 18, a second elongated valve housing, having tubular means at one end connectable with a non-operating tubing and including a telescopic sealing assembly and means interconnecting said spacing means and said telescopic sealing assembly for simultaneous telescoping responsive to relative rotation of said members.
 21. In a subsurface safety valve assembly as defined in claim 18, a second elongated valve housing, having tubular means at one end connectable with a non-operating tubing and including a telescopic sealing assembly and means interconnecting said spacing means and said telescopic sealing assembly for simultaneous telescoping responsive to relative rotation of said members and means for operating said latch means responsive to relative rotation of said members.
 22. In a subsurface safety valve assembly as defined in claim 18, a second elongated valve housing, having tubular means at one end connectable with a non-operating tubing and including a telescopic sealing assembly and means interconnecting said spacing means and said telescopic sealing assembly for simultaneous telescoping responsive to relative rotation of said members and means for operating said latch means responsive to relative rotation of said members including control means engaged with said latch means and one of said members and shiftable in one direction by said one of said members upon telescoping movement of said members in one direction.
 23. In a subsurface safety valve assembly as defined in claim 18, a second elongated valve housing, having tubular means at one end connectable with a non-operating tubing and including a telescopic sealing assembly and means interconnecting said spacing means and said telescopic sealing assembly for simultaneous telescoping responsive to relative rotation of said members and means for operating said latch means responsive to relative rotation of said members including control means engaged with said latch means and one of said members and shiftable in one direction by said one of said members upon telescoping movement of said members in one direction, and spring means for shifting said control means in the other direction upon telescoping movement of said members in the other direction.
 24. In a subsurface safety valve assembly as defined in claim 18, a second elongated valve housing, having tubular means at one end connectable with a non-operating tubing and including a telescopic sealing assembly and means interconnecting said spacing means and said telescopic sealing assembly for simultaneous telescoping responsive to relative rotation of said members, and control fluid tubing means connected to said valve housings and including a telescopic sealing assembly operable responsive to relative rotation of said members. 